504 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



green, central pair uniform, rest with broad white patch on inner 

 web, in outer pair white is extended up shaft to a point ; primaries 

 and secondaries black-brown glossed dark metallic -green on outer 

 webs and tips, innermost secondaries dark metallic -blue and inner 

 primaries and other secondaries often with some metallic -blue ; 

 jirimary-coverts dark metallic -green often shaded metallic-blue ; 

 wing-coverts dark metallic -blue, innermost feathers of greater 

 and median coverts with buff or greyish mark at tip of inner web. 

 This plumage is acquired by a very gradual moult, commencing 

 in Europe with body feathers and sometimes median and lesser 

 wing-coverts in Aug. (exceptionally July) and continuing in Africa, 

 whence specimens in every month from Sept. to March (exception- 

 ally April) are in various stages of complete moidt. Out ot large 

 number examined I have not seen one taken in Europe which was 

 moulting its remiges or rectriccs. Feathers of under-parts vary 

 much in colour individually but are more creamy or buff when 

 freshly moulted and become paler and in some individuals nearly 

 white by abrasion. Abrasion also causes loss of gloss, especially 

 noticeable on crown, throat-band, wings and tail. 



Adult female. — As male but throat-band not so metallic-blue 

 being browner and usually with more chestnut feathers intermixed, 

 under-parts average whiter than male, but many individuals as 

 buff ; outermost pair of tail-feathers usually shorter than in male 

 (see " Measurements "). 



Nestling. — Down grey, fairly long, but scanty. Distribution, 

 inner supra -orbital, occipital, humeral and spinal. Mouth inside 

 lemon-yellow, no tongue-spots, externally flanges whitish (C. B. 

 Ticehurst, Brit. B., ii, p. 191). 



Juvenile. — Resembling adult, but chestnut patch on fore-head 

 smaller and paler, but extending on sides of crown in an ill-defined 

 narrow streak above lores ; rest of upper -parts browner and with 

 less metallic-blue than in adult (especially on crown), feathers of 

 rump narrowly tipped brown ; chin and throat paler chestnut ; 

 band across lower-throat brown to blackish-brown, some feathers 

 sometimes tipped rufous-buff ; centre of breast and belly creamy- 

 white, sides and flanks and under tail-coverts pinkish-buff ; wing- 

 and tail-feathers with less gloss than in adults ; outer pair of tail- 

 feathers only 10 mm. or less longer than penultimate and tips 

 much broader than in adult, tips of rest of tail-feathers more rounded 

 and less pointed than in adult, white patches oia inner webs con- 

 siderably smaller than in adults. N.B. — In worn plumage crown 

 and throat-band become browner and chin and throat often almost 

 white. 



First winter and summer. — No certain distinction from adult 

 when tail-feathers have moulted but judging by those in moult 

 throat-band usually not so bright metallic -blue, under-parts more 

 often rufous, outer tail-feathers not so often so long and narrow, 

 but all these distinctions are variable and uncertain as examina- 



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